When it comes to kitchen appliances, nothing is quite as important as your garbage disposal. Unless you like having to toss out all food before you wash your dishes, a disposal can make your cleaning experience much more efficient and convenient. Unfortunately, as these are complex machines with a lot of moving parts, they can sometimes break down. When that happens, you need to replace your old unit with something more robust and reliable. But if the time comes to install a brand new appliance, what kind should you get? After all, if you are going to get a new machine, you might as well get the best option available.
If you are in the market for a new garbage disposal, the most important thing to know is which size will be right for your needs. When talking about size, what we are really talking about is power. As such, garbage disposals come in four different varieties: one-third horsepower, one-half horsepower, three-fourths horsepower, and one full horsepower. To better understand which one will be ideal in your sink, let us look at each model.
Size of Garbage Disposal You Need
1/3 Horsepower 1-2 Family Members
LIGHT USE, LIGHT SCRAPS
- Family Members: 1-2 people
- Cook Often: No
- Perfect For Grinding: Grinds soft food, fruit rinds, cereal, LIGHT SCRAPS meat trimmings
Best 1/3 HP Food Waste Kitchen Disposer
As you may have guessed, this is the smallest and least powerful disposal unit. For the most part, people only get a 1/3 model if they do not use
1/2 Horsepower 2-4 Family Members
MEDIUM USE SCRAPS & LEFTOVERS
- Family Members: 2-4 PEOPLE
- Cook Often: No
- Perfect For Grinding: Grinds potato peels, celery, cooked meat or fish, seeds & small bones
Best 1/2 HP Food Waste Kitchen Disposer
Although a 1/3 model is usually the cheapest, most experts would recommend at least a 1/2 horsepower disposal in your home. The reason for this is that the higher rpm will last much longer and the unit is much stronger than the 1/3 version. Overall, this is probably the best option if you are on a budget and do not need that much power to cut through bones and peels.
3/4 Horsepower 2-4 Family Members
MEDIUM – HEAVY USE TOUGH SCRAPS
- Family Members: 2-4 PEOPLE
- Cook Often: Yes
- Perfect For Grinding: Grinds artichokes, vegetable peels, cooked meat or fish, fruit pits & small bones
Best 3/4 HP Food Waste Kitchen Disposer
If you have the space for it and want to get the best options, then a 3/4 horsepower garbage disposal is an ideal choice. These units are a bit pricier and larger than their 1/2 counterparts, but you usually get much better performance as well as improved features. For example, most 3/4 disposals have stainless steel components that will not rust and will last much longer. Also, stronger units usually are faster and quieter, which can be a nice feature for some households. Overall, this is a fantastic size to get if you want to get something durable and reliable that will last for years.
One Horsepower 4+ Family Members
HEAVY USE, ALL FOOD SCRAPS
- Family Members: 4+ PEOPLE
- Cook Often: Yes
- Perfect For Grinding: Grinds fibrous foods, vegetable peels, raw or cooked meat or fish, fruit pits & small bones
Best 1 HP Food Waste Kitchen Disposer
This is the ultimate in the garbage disposal. If you want to be able to toss practically anything into your sink without worry, then a 1 horsepower unit is for you. While we do not recommend throwing bones or other hard materials into the machine, you can rest assured that if something accidentally drops down it will be handled appropriately. These machines are generally quite large and are ideal for small businesses or some light commercial applications, but you can easily fit it under your home sink.
reference of the calculation: Waste King